LOCAL CAT WINS AWARD – Weehawken cat Cathy Keisha (seen here in her plush version) has taken home one of 12 Nose-To-Nose Awards given out at the BlogPaws 2012 Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. These awards are given for Excellence in Social Media, and Keisha won for best Twitter Design. She received a $100 gift card for Halo Purely For Pets. She also won 5,000 bowls of food for Jersey City rescue group A Call 4 Paws.

On Tuesday, Sept. 11, starting at 8:45 a.m., the Township of Weehawken will honor those lost on the eleventh anniversary of 9-11 at the 9-11 Memorial on the waterfront. There will be an ecumenical service and a role call of Weehawkenites who lost their lives in the attack.

Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial works on evacuation planning

The Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial will utilize the software and consulting services of Regal Decision Systems to support its inaugural race planned for June 2013 on a 3.2-mile circuit in Weehawken and West New York. Software developed in a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security simulates evacuation plans and patron movement for any stadium, arena, school, or sporting complex. The software executes simulations based upon unique threat scenarios by utilizing validated algorithms for processing crowd behavior.

The software, known as SportEvac, has been used to support high-profile sports teams and venues, including The Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, and Indianapolis 500. It has also been used for evacuation planning at such events as the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, and in support of the U.S. Border Patrol and the Transportation Security Administration.

“Safety is the number one concern, of course, but we also want to maximize our spectators’ experience and comfort,” said Rich Aschenbach, director of public safety for Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial.

Free flu and pneumonia vaccines for seniors

The seasonal flu and pneumonia vaccine will be distributed on Sept. 21 and Oct. 12 at the following sites and times:

-The Senior Nutrition Center, 201 Highwood Ave., 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

-The Community Room, 525 Gregory Ave., 2 p.m. to 4p.m.

All interested seniors are asked to call the Senior Center at (201) 319-6060 to sign up for the vaccine. Vaccines will be distributed for free by North Hudson Community Action Corporation.

Weehawken to present final Hamilton Park Concert

The final installment of the Hamilton Park Concert Series, sponsored by Mayor Richard F. Turner, the Township Council, and the Department of Recreation will be held Thursday, Sept. 13, at Hamilton Park on Boulevard East from 7 to 9 p.m. and will feature Jillian Giacchi on vocals.

Weehawken Weekenders to hold trips in fall

On Oct. 3, the Weehawken Weekenders will attend “Octoberfest” at the Royal Manor in Garfield, for $45.

On Oct. 13, they will visit the Nordic Lodge with all you can eat lobster and more in Charlestown, R.I. and proceed to Mohegan Sun Casino, for $125.

The Weekenders are also planning an eight-night Canadian and New England cruise on the Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, departing from Bayonne on Aug. 31, 2013 and sailing through Sept. 8.

All trips include transportation and gratuities. Call the Weekenders office at (201) 319-6059 for more information or to make a reservation.

Weehawken Seniors Club seeks new members

The Weehawken Senior Citizens Club is looking for new members. They meet on the first and third Friday afternoons of each month.

Why not come and spend a couple of hours in an air conditioned room, and visit with your old friends? Refreshments will be served, a “Share the Wealth” drawing will be held, and games will be played.

In addition, the club holds special holiday dinners, luncheons, and other events and activities. New members are only strangers the first time they come. Those interested can call (201) 867-5126.

Holy Family Parish to hold annual international festival

Union City’s Holy Family Parish will hold its 15th Annual International Festival on Sunday, Sept. 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Central Avenue between 32nd and 35th streets.

The festival will begin with Mass at 10:30 a.m. and then move across the street for the festivities. Family, friends, and neighbors are welcome to share and enjoy the great diversity of cultures that make up the neighborhood. There will be food, entertainment, music, arts and crafts, international displays, and games for children.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D, NJ) has urged the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to approve a proposed product safety directive that would prohibit the manufacturing and sale of small, high-powered magnet sets like Buckyballs, Buckycubes, and Zen Magnets, which have caused internal injuries to dozens of children. Earlier this year, Menendez called on the agency to look into reports of injuries caused to children who swallowed the magnets, which were marketed and sold as toys. Children have suffered life threatening problems due to ingestion of magnets, whether the magnets are on their own or magnets that fell out of a larger toy.

“Clearly, no warning label is going to be enough to stop a curious child from swallowing these powerful magnetic 'toys,' which evidence has proven are highly dangerous,” said Menendez in a press release last week. “That means we must protect our children by removing the danger altogether and I urge the commission to approve this action.”

In a letter to Senator Menendez on Aug. 21, CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum informed the senator that CPSC “experts do not believe warnings will ever be effective to protect children from this hidden hazard.”

Last month, in response to Sen. Menendez's request for action to ensure these high-powered magnets were not marketed or distributed in a way that could result in injuries to children, the CPSC filed an administrative complaint against the Buckyballs and Buckycubes retailer, ordering them to stop selling the products, notify the public of the hazards they pose to children's safety and offer consumers a full refund.

Later, the commission filed an administrative complaint against an additional retailer and received voluntary agreements from a number of retailers to temporarily cease selling the products, including 11 that imported the magnets from China.

Meeting Sept. 11 for CASA volunteers

Are you interested in helping children in the foster care system? If so, Hudson County CASA is currently recruiting volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. CASA works through trained community volunteers to insure that needed services and assistance are made available to children while helping to move them toward safe and permanent homes.

CASA (court appointed special advocate) and its volunteers speak for children in court, serve as fact finders for the judges and safeguard the interests of the children while they are in the foster care system.

If interested, attend an information session to learn more about the program and the role of its volunteers. A session will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 11 from 6 to 7 p.m. in room 400 of the Hudson County Administration Building at 595 Newark Avenue, Jersey City.

Hudson County has nearly 700 children in foster care; most have been removed from their homes for abuse or neglect. For further information, call (201) 795-9855, email mgarcia@hudsoncountycasa.org or visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org

New method announced for reporting sewer-related emergencies

The North Hudson Sewerage Authority (NHSA) announced that customers now have two new ways to report sewer-related emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The new system also allows customers to track the status of those issues until they are resolved.

Customers in the NHSA service area, which includes Hoboken, Union City, Weehawken and West New York, can now either call an emergency telephone hotline number, (866) 689-3970, or submit an online form available through the Authority’s website at www.nhudsonsa.com (click on the “Contact Us/Report A Problem” link on left side of the home page), to report emergency issues such as sewer odors, sewer backups in the home or a business, suspected breaks in a sanitary sewer or storm drain, missing manhole covers or other sewer-related issues.

“We are very pleased to inaugurate this state-of-the-art reporting system, which makes it easier for our customers to report emergency issues,” NHSA Chairman Richard J. Wolff said. “We particularly like the tracking feature, which allows customers to get updates on the status of these issues as they are being addressed.

“This Authority has a very long track record of employing best practices in engineering, wastewater management, environmental policy, and financial and operational management,” Wolff continued. “This is another example of our commitment to remain the best-managed wastewater authority in the state of New Jersey.”

When reporting a problem through either the hotline or online, customers will be asked to provide the location and specific details of the problem. They also will be asked to provide contact information such as their name, phone number and email address so NHSA staff can contact them regarding the status of the problem.

The information is then used to create a work order, and customers will be offered the order number for their records and to track the status of their request.

Once an issue has been identified through the hotline or online form, it is prioritized and assigned to NHSA staff for resolution. After the problem is corrected, the work order is closed, and the customer will be advised of its resolution if they have provided contact information. Using the work order number, customers also can use the hotline to get updates on their issues prior to resolution.

These tools are intended for emergency problems only; customers should call the NHSA’s main telephone number, (201) 963-6043, between the regular business hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or send an email to info@nhudsonsa.com, for routine matters.